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It’s good, it’s is Thursday, so there may be a rebus involved, I thought to myself. I just needed to know where the rebus went.
Developers are very helpful in a case like this. As I struggled to cram pairs of letters into various squares in this location, I slowly realized that I could put AM in the third square of 21A, and everything would be fine. Except for one thing: it didn’t match the crosser, where I had SEL__A__ __.
I don’t think I am exaggerating it by saying the “aha!” moment hit me like a ton of bricks. The AM went through and the FM came down.
Therefore, RADIO. Wow.
If you’ve been sitting there wondering how to fit more than one letter into a square, Wordplay is here for you. Just read this article for instructions.
But that doesn’t answer the question of what exactly to capture. Personally, I think my grid is eminently more readable and I keep a better track of things if I grab the whole thing, AM / FM. But editors understand the need for you to do it yourself (or those who can resolve on platforms that don’t support things like this), so they give you a choice. In Mr. Lampkin’s puzzle, the following variations are allowed:
AM / FM
FM / AM
A M
FM
A
F
There isn’t much new here, but the surprise of seeing the double rebus was entertaining.
Builder’s Notes
AM / FM radio will soon be a thing of the past – if it isn’t already – but it’s still fodder for a tough Thursday gimmick.
The editorial team noted that while they rarely accept two-way rebuses, the concept here was quite appropriate, so they warmly welcomed my RADIO transmission and suggested some tweaks.
As submitted, my grid had circles in the rebus squares (radio buttons) and easier clues, which would have made solving a bit easier, say at Wednesday’s level. I applaud the changes and thank Will and his company for the precise editing.
Want to submit crosswords to the New York Times?
The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit your puzzles online.
For tips on how to get started, read our “How to Create a Crossword Puzzle” series.
The tipping point
Almost done solving but need a bit more help? We have what you need.
Warning: There will be spoilers ahead, but subscribers can take a look at the answer key.
Trying to get back to the puzzle page? Here.
Your thoughts?
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